Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra says will contest Karnataka assembly polls if party approves
Koppal(PTI): Karnataka BJP Vice President and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's son B Y Vijayendra on Monday said he will contest the 2023 state assembly polls, if the party's central leadership gives its nod.
He maintained that the party leadership will take a decision at an appropriate time regarding his candidacy, and that Yediyurappa announcing him as candidate from the family bastion of Shikaripura for the polls, was under pressure from people there, which is subject to the party's approval.
"There is no confusion, my father and former CM B S Yediyurappa has a very strong relationship with the Shikaripura constituency, so on the pressure from party leaders, workers and people of the constituency, he made an announcement. He also has said the party and its central leadership will decide," Vijayendra told reporters here.
"...if the party approves, I will contest the polls," the younger son of Yediyurappa, who is largely seen as his political heir apparent, added.
Signalling the end of his electoral politics, Yediyurappa last Friday said he will be vacating his Shikaripura assembly seat in Shivamogga district, and that Vijayendra will be contesting the polls from there.
The Lingayat strongman, however, on Saturday clarified that only the party's central leadership can decide on tickets to contest polls.
Incidentally, the clarification came on a day when Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Yediyurappa at the latter's residence.
Asked if a leader like Yediyurappa, who built the party in the state for decades, doesn't have the independence to choose a political successor for his constituency, Vijayendra said, "This is BJP, a national party and there is no question of a successor in this party".
"Yes, it is true that Yediyurappa strived for 30 to 40 years to build this party, the organisation and its workers; in the same way, the BJP has also given position and respect to Yediyurappa. So, the party will utilise his service to strengthen itself further and come to power with a majority," he added.
Yediyurappa announcing his son as candidate from Shikaripura is being seen as an attempt by the veteran leader to compel the party to give a ticket to Vijayendra for the assembly polls.
A section within the party feels that it may be an attempt by Yediyurappa to secure the political future of Vijayendra, after the recent 'setback' when he failed to get an MLC ticket for his son.
Ignoring the recommendation of the state unit to field Vijayendra for the June 3 biennial elections to seven seats of Karnataka Legislative Council, the party central leadership had denied him the ticket.
The move was seen by some in political quarters as a setback to Yediyurappa, as the senior leader wanted to see to it that Vijayendra becomes MLC and subsequently is inducted into the Bommai-led cabinet.
Yediyurappa's attempt to secure Vijayendra's political future by unilaterally announcing him as the candidate from Shikaripura, may come in the way of the party's stand against dynastic politics, as his elder son B Y Raghavendra is already a Member of Parliament from Shivamogga.
Vijayendra was appointed as the party Vice President in July 2020. Before that, he was appointed as BJP youth wing general secretary. Soon after, he was denied a party ticket to contest from Varuna constituency in Mysuru, ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls.
His stakes increased in the party as he was credited by many to have played a key role in BJP's first ever victory in K R Pet and Sira Assembly segments in the by-polls held in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
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Man chased, brutally stabbed inside public toilet in northwest Delhi; one arrested; juvenile held
New Delhi (PTI): An alleged road rage incident took a fatal turn when a 27-year-old factory worker was chased down by assailants and stabbed multiple times inside a public toilet in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday night, when witnesses saw the victim, Santosh Kumar, running into a public toilet in a desperate bid to save his life, with his attackers hot on his heels.
"A PCR call was received at 6:23 pm on April 8 regarding a man being stabbed inside the compound of a Sulabh Sauchalaya located at the fish market in Wazirpur Industrial Area," a senior police officer said.
A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside the toilet premises. The victim, originally from Nepal, was residing in Macchi Market area, the official said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident stemmed from an altercation between the victim and a motorcycle rider. The verbal spat soon escalated into a physical scuffle, during which the accused, along with an associate, allegedly attacked Santosh with a knife.
Police sources said in a desperate attempt to save himself, the injured victim ran towards the nearby public toilet and tried to latch the door from inside. Eyewitness accounts suggest he tried to take refuge inside the public toilet and shut the door to prevent his attackers from entering. However, he was chased down, overpowered, and stabbed multiple times.
Santosh collapsed on the spot, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.
A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intentions) was registered at Ashok Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up.
During the probe, police arrested one accused identified as Tanish (19), a resident of CSA Colony in Macchi Market area, and apprehended a juvenile allegedly involved in the incident.
Police said the motorcycle used by the accused, which they had abandoned while fleeing after the attack, was recovered near the crime scene.
Family members and acquaintances of the deceased expressed shock over the killing. Santosh's uncle, who reached the spot after being informed, recounted the scene.
"When I came here, I saw him lying on the floor, dead. I noticed that he had been stabbed twice. I am not aware of what exactly happened. He was just 27 years old and used to work in a steel company with me. I don't know how many people were involved in the attack. We are from Nepal, and I have been working here for 15 years. I think he was stabbed outside and later came inside the toilet to save himself. There was a bike outside which I think belonged to the attackers," he said.
Police said the motive behind the crime appears to be road rage -- a sudden and heated altercation on the road that spiralled into a violent assault resulting in the victim's death.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any other persons involved in the attack. Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and examining local witnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
